Puerto Montt

If the visitor decides to travel by sea, the volcanoes and snowed mountains of the continental area will keep you busy with the camera and astonished in front of such magnificence. The same will be experienced if heading towards the picturesque stilt houses (palafitos), those extraordinary houses supported by wooden posts buried in the ground by the sea.

Puerto Montt was founded on February 12, 1853 by Vicente Pérez Rosales, together with German immigrants, men and women who had the courage and tenacity to settle the seemingly inhospitable lands of the Chilean southern region.

Thanks to this drive, the city underwent a rapid growth. In 1912, with the implementation of the railroad, it became the nerve center for those who traveled to the island of Chiloé and Magallanes. Development arrived by means of rails and the whistle of the locomotives.

Over the years, the city kept evolving and becoming more and more prosperous, but the force of nature affected in 1960, when an earthquake destroyed the city almost completely. Then, the spirit of old settlers seemed to revive in order to be able to fulfill the endeavor of restoring it, turning it in 1979 into the capital city of Los Lagos region (X).

Today, the city counts on evoking streets, houses with European features, avenues that flirt with the sea, markets where fish and seafood are worshiped. This and much more shape the face of this unparallel southern city, mandatory stopover for the exciting adventures in the Patagonia.

Its recreational activities are mainly related to the navigation through Canal de Tenglo, encompassing the island bearing the same name, Isla Huar, Isla Maillén, Puerto Pesquero, Isla de Los Curas and Puerto Montt bay. Tradition mandates a visit to Angelmó, where people can enjoy typical dishes, like cancatos or curantos in the pot, as well as visiting different stalls that sell honey, cheese, butter, wild fruit syrup, seafood, dry and fresh fish, among other traditional products of the area.

A characteristic feature of the weather in Puerto Montt is its permanent precipitations. All months are affected by rains, but they become more intense during the months of June, July and August, being the average 1,200 to 3,000 mm per year. Besides, weather in this region of Chile has a relative humidity of 80% and low temperatures, with a minimum of 4ºC (July to September) and a maximum of 21ºC.